Cryptonychus

Introduction

Cryptonychus Gyllenhal (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae) contains 30 species from Africa (Staines 2012) and was last revised by Spaeth (1933, 1936). Two species in the subgenus Cryptonychellus have been associated with palms (Arecaceae) but some species in Cryptonychus (s. str.) have been shown to feed on sedges (Cyperaceae), grasses (Poaceae), and gingers (Zingiberaceae).

Distribution

Cryptonychus breviceps Weise is found in Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria.

Cryptonychus exiguus Spaeth is found in Uganda.

Hosts

Cryptonychus breviceps feeds on Elaeis sp., Cocos nucifera L. (Maulik 1930) and Cocos romanzoffiana Cham. (Lepesme 1947) (Arecaceae).

Cryptonychus exiguus feeds on Cocos romanzoffiana Cham. (Arecaceae) (Lepesme 1947).

Damage

no published information

Life history notes

none published

Bibliography

Lepesme, P. 1947. Les insectes des palmiers. Lechevailer. Paris. 903 pp.

Maulik, S. 1930. New injurious Hispinae. Bulletin of Entomological Research 21: 45-56.

Spaeth, F. 1933. Studien über die Gattung Cryptonychus (Col. Chrys. Hisp.). Folia Zoologica et Hydrobiologica 5: 1‑13.

Spaeth, F. 1936. Ueber die Australasiathischen Cryptonychini. Temminckia 1: 277-294.

Staines, C. L. 2012. Tribe Cryptonychini. Catalog of the hispines of the world (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae). http://entomology.si.edu/Collections_Coleoptera.html